It may surprise you a little that I am doing the Everest movie review. I watch movies infrequently and I hardly ever ‘review’ them, if I may call my random writing a review. But Everest is based on the tragedy that occurred on the mountain in 1996. And much before the movie was made I read two books on it, Into Thin Air
Everest released world wide in this week and Seshadri, Chhavi and I went to watch the movie yesterday. I thought it was based on Into Thin Air but I realized they take into account the various perspectives. It is a big plus for the movie. Director Baltasar Kormakur in his Everest has made an immensely watchable movie supported by an able star cast.
If you have not read about the 1996 disaster and plan to watch the movie before reading anything you can stop reading this review now as it has spoilers.
The movie is about the disaster that unfolded on Everest on May 10, 1996. There were two large guided expeditions up the mountains led by Rob Hall (Adventure Consultants) and Scott Fischer (Mountain Madness). On Hall’s expedition was a journalist from the Outside magazine Jon Krakauer. Some say his presence added to the pressure to succeed at any cost but the other team too had a journalist. So I believe it is a bit unfair to single out Krakauer.
The movie portrays the world of guided expeditions brilliantly. Whether we agree with the philosophy of guided expeditions to Everest is another matter. On these guided expeditions clients paid (in 1996) up to 65,000 dollars to be guided up to the Everest. The presence of so many teams going to the summit on the same day, the pressure not being able to say no to a client, the level of climbing experience of the customers, all come into the play. For example Doug Hansen was ambling around much after the cut off time for the summit but Hall agrees to go with him to the summit, because he could not say no to him!
There are many controversies around the event and one of the most well known is between Jon Krakauer and Anatoli Boukreev leading to the publication of the rebuttal by Boukreev in his book ‘The Climb’. Boukreev was a guide with Fischer’s expedition ‘Mountain Madness.’ The movie steers away from them and manages to strike a balance between various accounts. This once again works splendidly for the movie.
The movie starts at people departing for Kathmandu, trekking up to the Everest Base Camp and then preparing for the climb. It then devotes the entire second half to the time when disaster strikes in the form of a fierce storm at the higher regions of Everest.
The stars have done justice to their roles. Jason Clark plays Rob hall, Jake Gyllenhaal plays the playful Scott Fischer and Kiera Nightly as Jan Hall. For me the most impressive was Emily Watson as her role of base camp manager Helen Wilton.
You will enjoy the movie even if you are not mad about mountains. And when you come across a scene which feels unrealistic, remember that is based on true accounts! However improbable some of the things feel they happened to real people!
My daughter asked me after the movie, “mama so what is the moral of the story?” This is what I said-
अपने औकत से ऊँचा पहाड़ नहीं चड़ना चाहिए। जब टीम लीडर बोले कि लौट चलो तो लौट जाना चाहिए। And as they said in the movie, “The mountain has the last word!”
For those of you who don’t read Hindi- We should not climb a mountain that is beyond us. When the team leader says we need to turn back, we turn back!
Do go and watch the movie Everest.
Lovely review Mridula. Truly, the eyes of an avid traveler can see things most of us overlook.
I intend on doing the Everest Base Camp trip within a few years… You should try it too 🙂
Hey Vishal thank you. The pictures you see in this post have been clicked by me. I did the Everest Base Camp trek, successfully, though huffing and puffing, in the year 2012 😀
Though I hadn’t read the books, I liked the movie. Beautifully written review. Every mountain scene made me wish to be there but I know that’s beyond my reach. Would love to try the base camp trek once I am more fit. 🙂
Swati I hope you will go to the base camp trek soon. I too enjoyed the movie and I started reading Into Thin Air again!
Awesome Mridula – just landed up watching Everest thanks to you… but not this one…
will watch this one tomorrow for sure… since we try to do a movie a day atleast :-p
But this one did mention Rob Hall 🙂 thanks for sharing… 🙂
And I will wait to hear about it on your blog!
Beautiful review , I watched the trailer ” Everest” , will watch soon.
Awesome photos. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Rupam, you will enjoy the movie.
Too good. Makes me feel like watching this one. I usually see one movie a year may be… this year none yet.
I would say watch this one 😀
I didn’t read the whole post. I’ll try to watch it. Thank you. 😉 I’ll come back, later.
I did have a look at the pictures and they are as awesome as always, Mridula. 🙂
Divya do watch the move, it is well made. And no one ever admits they didn’t read a post 😀 So thank you.
I like reading the review before I watch a movie, and I have to see this one, so thanks for sharing Mridula.
I really liked it. Have you read any book around the event? You enjoy it even more.
I saw the movie today. Really enjoyed it. Haven’t read a book lately. Had read one long back.
Somali happy to know that you went to see the movie and liked it!
Nice one. Maybe I will head for the movie after reading this.
Do go, it is a nice movie, the books round the event are nice too.
I must say Mridula….it’s really a very compelling review ????….good one and must watch movie
It is a nice movie Anita, do go and watch!
very nice review. looking forward to watch!
A Rat’s Nibble
I am sure you will enjoy it.
I saw it a couple of days back and loved it! 🙂
Happy to hear that Siddhrtha.
Mridula, I read till second para of your review yesterday, and seeing the lines in bold, I thought of watching the movie first.
I watched it yesterday, and read rest of the review by you today. I feel I have better understood the movie.
And, how sweet question by your daughter, “mama so what is the moral of the story?”. I remembered my Moral Science classes during school when after every story there used to a line – “Moral of the story is…”
Great review Mridula.
Best!
Thank you Bikesh, happy to hear that you liked the movie. Now if you like reading the books it is time to pick them up too 😀
Yes, Mridula, I should the ones that you have mentioned on your blog. 🙂
Happy reading.
I am so looking forward to seeing this movie in the next week .. been waiting for it for a long time 🙂
Bikram’s
I hope you will like it.
Thanks for the review, Mridula. 🙂
Do go and watch the movie 😀
Too good. Makes me feel like watching this one. Mridula ji , if I m correct you wrote about your trip of Kala Patthar , the base camp of Everest !! can you share it again, I want to read it about !!
Yogi you can see the links to all the posts from this one. It was expensive but truly worth it.
https://traveltalesfromindia.in/2012/06/everest-base-camp-trek/
That’s a nice review. I didn’t know about the books though, will have to look for them now.
Saw the film on IMAX last week and it was visually stunning. 🙂
The books are nice too!